The latest extension of ceasefire between the Government of India and NSCN-(IM) marks a seminal change in the ten year old peace talks between the two parties. Departing from the earlier practice of having time-bound ceasefire extension, NSCN-(IM) has agreed to an 'indefinite' ceasefire linked to progress in talks.
The past ten years of ceasefire, while opening up new democratic space for peoples' groups and organisations, have failed to live up to the initial expectations and have not yet resulted in any tangible gain on the core issues under negotiations. Periodic extensions of ceasefire also enabled the Government of India to rest complacently as they ensured maintenance of law and order and continuation of the talks even in absence of any reciprocal political commitment. Thus, the peace process has been completely bereft of any tangible progress towards a just and honourable resolution of the Naga question even after an entire decade.
The new dispensation will force the Central Government's hand in so far as the peace process may be liable to be called off by in case of any tardiness in the talks. Thus, one hopes that the Central Government will now be more proactive in breaking the impasse on the core issues.
The Central Government must realise that any attempt at stalling the process by refusing the discuss the core issues or arming other groups will only dissipate the expectations and good will generated in last ten years and result in only more violence and bloodshed.
1 comment:
I think the specifics of Israel-Palestine conflict and the ongoing peace process will require more intensive examination than what Obadiah Shoher has done in the piece alluded to here.
There are several sweeping statements which I am prima facie skeptical about.
My essential concern is that a peace process must never lose sight of its justice aspect. No peace ever be established over a foundation of suppressed rights.
Unfortunately, the ten years of Indo-Naga Peace Process indicates that the Indian State is keener to outlast the Naga movement in a war of attrition than to sincerely dialogue on the core issue of disputes.
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